Quick Cooking with Quinoa

It's amazing how fast the natural foods industry moves to get popular items on the shelf for the masses. There's the soy milk craze, acai craze, and now I'm starting to get the sense of a quinoa craze. It's everywhere! Its even showing up at local restaurants as side dishes, who would have thought? Check out this recent article Link

So, I've been cooking with quinoa for a couple years now. At first it tasted funny, there was no satisfaction from eating it, and I always ate it plain. . . a huge mistake! After lots of experimenting in the kitchen, I now love how versatile the seed is - I eat mine for breakfast with almond milk, coconut flakes and a banana, for lunch in my salad or for dinner with some veggies & protein! The best part is, it only takes about 20 minutes to cook. The second best part is, you can really make quinoa suit your personal tastes.

For savory, I'm posting one of my favorites. . .

Quinoa with Leeks & Asparagus

3 leeks chopped up (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 bunch of asparagus (I pick the skinny stalks)

Pepper

Pinch of Salt

Maybe a tablespoon or two of white wine

2 cups cooked quinoa

Olive oil

Cooking the quinoa

The proportions are simple: 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water. Place everything into a sauce pan, turn the burner on high and bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, turn down to simmer, cover and let it sit until water is fully absorbed. This may take around 20 minutes... not that long.

The good stuff

Dice leeks into small slices. Be sure to clean them really well before chopping. Wash and dice asparagus. In a large sauce pan, add some olive oil over medium heat and stir in the leaks. Once leeks become transparent, add the asparagus. Add salt & pepper to taste... I even threw in a couple tablespoons of white wine (psst secret ingredient). Let everything marinate. The asparagus will turn a vibrant green and the leeks will start caramelizing. After about 8-10 minutes, add 2 cups of cook quinoa. Toss around to soak up the flavors. You could even let the quinoa crisp up a bit on the bottom of the pan.

This makes about 4 ample servings. I topped mine off with a fried egg and some avocado.

Breakfast for Athletes

I love pancakes but I don't love the heavy, slouchy, lazy feeling I have after I gorge myself with buttermilk pancakes, french toast or waffles. As a result, I rarely eat such high density, carb overloading options for breakfast, especially during the week days.

This new recipe is anything but unhealthy, yet it also satisfies the pancake cravings. Using coconut flour (you can find this at your local Whole Foods), whipped-up egg whites and a ripe banana, you are able to achieve a "pancake" like breakfast that leaves you feeling satisfied and ready to take on the day. I promise.

Just check out this recipe below...

Banana Pancakes... a lighter version

2 large bananas, smashed

2 eggs

2 egg whites

2 tbsps high quality honey

2 tsps vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup coconut flour (or Almond Meal)

Olive oil or butter for the frying pan

Directions

Combine smashed bananas, eggs, honey, vanilla and baking soda with a whisk or fork. Add the coconut flour and combine well. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped egg whites into the pancake mixture.

I like to top mine off with some blueberries while they are cooking in the frying pan. You could also add some coconut flakes, strawberries, walnuts, you get the idea.

In a frying pan, heat 1 tbsp butter or olive oil. Lastly, fry up your "pancakes"!

Recipe courtesy of a new Paleo/Gluten/Fitness friendly blog, SweetCheeksHQ.com

Teach Every Child About Food

For my fellow food bloggers to pass along. Food education is just the beginning of a total transformation of the American Lifestyle. Change starts with you.

Blogging Scones

So I'm not too sure how long my break from blogging really was, but I hope that this new recipe will help me redeem myself in the food blogger universe.

It has been a fantastic 2010. The year started off with a fabulous trip to Cabo San Lucas... sun, chips, guacamole, beer, chips, guacamole... a working girl could get used to the vacation life. Unfortunately, reality hit with a small cold and piles of work with no end in sight. Fortunately, inspiration arrived in the form of a Culinary Institute of America Breakfasts & Brunches Cookbook which finally provided me with a ham and cheese scone recipe that I plan to stick with all year long.

Although a tad on the sweet side, these ham & cheese scones are perfect for a Sunday brunch. They come out of the oven very moist with tons of flavor from the ham, cheese and scallions. If you aren't a fan of the sweet and savory, you could easily replace the ham & cheese with some fruit of choice - that's why I love this recipe. It's versatile and simple, allowing the chef in the kitchen to take the reins.

Ham & Cheese Scones

The Culinary Institute of America: Breakfasts & Brunches

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup medium-diced ham

1/2 cup medium-diced cheddar cheese

1/2 cup sliced scallions

2 cups heavy cream.

Preparation

Cut two 10-inch circles of parchment paper. Use one to line a 10-inch round cake pan and reserve the other piece

Scones

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a mixing bowl. Add the ham, cheese, and scallions and toss together with the dry ingredients until evenly distributed. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the cream to the mixture and stir by hand jut until the batter is evenly moistened. Place the dough in the lined cake pan and press into an even layer. Cover the dough with the second parchment paper circle. Freeze the dough until very firm, at least 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare a baking sheet by spraying it lightly with cooking spray or lining it with parchment paper. Thaw the dough for 5 minutes at room temperature; turn it out of the cake pan onto a cutting board. Cut the dough into equal pieces and place the individual pieces on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart.

Bake the scones until golden brown, 30-40 minutes. Cool the scones on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to cooling racks. Serve scones warm or at room temperature. They are awesome the same day they are made but of course, you may freeze them for up to 4 weeks.

Recovering, then doing it all over again.

This recipe is all about recovering. Earning back those calories you spent on pumpkin pie, extra gravy, delicious homemade challah stuffing ... ehem the best stuffing ever... and whatever it was that your little heart desired. I almost feel like Thanksgiving sets off a feeding frenzy, one that is influenced by cold weather and the fact that my office is starting to fill up with gifts in the shape of Holiday treats. I pride myself for my usual resistance to free treats in the office, but this time of the year, my self control dwindles. A little bite here, a handful of something there and all of a sudden I am slumped over my desk with very little energy to do anything else but head back to the break room and, well, eat more.

Back to recovery. Ellie Krieger's Curried Butternut Squash Soup from her book "The Food You Crave" is a healthfully sweet dish that will leave you dishing for more. Full of vitamins and minerals, also free of cream, sugar, and grease, it's filling and delicious. The perfect compliment to nursing a Thanksgiving feast hangover, and it will definitely never leave you slumped over your desk at work. I recommend making a big batch, freezing some, and saving some for lunches and dinner. It goes great with some homemade croutons or shaved Parmesan cheese.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)

2 cloves garlic, minced (2 teaspoons)

One 2 1/2 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes

6 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (I used vegetable)

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

2 tablespoons honey

You will need a large soup pot and a blender or hand help immersion blender. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the squash, broth, curry powder, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the honey. In two batches, puree until smooth in the blender. Make sure soup is very smooth with no lumps. Taste and season with salt if necessary. Top it off with some homemade croutons, Greek yogurt or Parmesan cheese.

Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Over the past couple weeks I just haven't been able to get a break from this lingering cold. Starting with a cough three weeks ago, it has now showed up in the form of a sore throat. Double ugh. The worst part is I've had to take time off from work, something I'm not too fond of doing, especially when it's considered a "sick day." I'd much rather have the opportunity to call it a "personal day," a day full of adventure and excitement with shopping or hiking on a weekday. Instead, I'm couch surfing with Oprah and my Antioxidant Green Tea.

So with lots of time on my hands, I've begun to think about Thanksgiving, a wonderful holiday that is just around the corner. Last year my obsession for the holidays was healthy and natural ingredients. Anyone who cooks sans sugar or sans white flour understands the difficulty to get flavors and textures perfected. Something that I stay true to is cooking with the freshest and purest ingredients, for example, relying on the flavor of the sweet potatoes, not the marshmallows. This holiday season, however, is going to be decadent! Starting with a quick cooking class at Lets Get Cooking, the itinerary for this class is quite gourmet. In the mean time, here are some healthier recipes that may work great for your Thanksgiving dinner. . .

Sweet Potatoes with Almond Oil

Rustic Kale & Roasted Walnut Pasta

Cranberry Sauce

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Dill

Nothing is Impossible: Homemade Croissants

Croissants are one of my all time favorite pastries to devour. This "devouring" has become an art. First step, to make sure the pastry leaves an apparent footprint of grease in my carry away bag . . . this is the true test of home baked goodness. Next, peel off layer by layer of the flaky dough until you are left with the delicate center, let each piece melt in your mouth. Savor the last couple bites for as long as possible, for nothing is as good as the center of the croissant. But of course, my three steps to devouring a croissant are only truly enjoyed with the homemade variety. Don't ever waste your time on imitations.

In all seriousness, for me, the croissant brings along a sense of intrigue and complexity. I always envisioned a baker slaving away in the kitchen, rolling out layer after layer of dough, with no end in sight, only to achieve perfection. No normal, sane person could ever assemble something so complex and time consuming. But in October 2009, I am so happy to say I proved myself wrong.

With the help of my new trusty Baker's Cookbook (and Jose, the ultimate taste tester), our first attempt at Croissant baking turned out pretty darn delicious.

Happy Croissant Hunting:
The ultimate croissant I've ever tasted comes from Tartine Bakery in San Francisco. A truly delicious experience, one unmatched to any other. This croissant sets the highest standards. If you live in Ventura, check out My Florist. They have consistently proved to be quality bakers of breads and pastries. Renaud's Patisserie in Santa Barbara is a small French cafe with some tasty croissants and quaint, french ambiance.

Festive Rum Pumpkin Cupcakes

Every weekend I have this little obsession of browsing through the recipes of Bon Appetit, Gourmet, Martha Stewart & Sunset magazines in search for a little inspiration or a recipe that is unique and fun. This Sunday I had a hankering for something Fall, Halloween themed and Sassy. Something that I could easily ship to work to feed my coworkers and something that I could add a personal twist too. There's nothing like the personal twists!

My eyes fell upon the mini Halloween Pumpkin Cupcakes in this month's Bon Appetit (Page 52 to be exact). I noticed they mentioned the cupcakes were "kid-sized" so I decided to add some Rum to the batter as there are no kids in this household! These are now the Working Girl's "bite-sized" Sassy Halloween Pumpkin Cupcakes that will wow any adult crowd.

Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes

Bon Appetit, October 2009

1 cup self rising flour

(1 Cup flour + 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda + 1/8 teaspoon salt)

2/3 cup packed golden brown sugar

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

(1/2 tsp cinnamon + 1/4 tsp ginger + 1/8 tsp nut

meg + 1/8 tsp cloves)

1 large free range egg

1/2 cup canned pumpkin (pure! pumpkin)

1/3 cup vegetable oil (I use Spectrum Canola Oil)

1/3 cup organic Greek yogurt (substitution for sour cream)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp Dark Rum (or to your discretion)

1 tbsp chopped crystallized ginger (optional, but worth it)

1 cup powdered sugar

nonfat milk

1/2 lemon

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Line your mini muffin pan with paper liners (I skipped this step . . . no motivation to drive to the grocery store)

Cupcakes

In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients: flour, baking

soda, salt, golden brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice. In a medium bowl mix together the wet ingredients: egg, canned pumpkin, vegetable oil, Greek yogurt, rum. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir to combine. Spoon batter into paper liners (or just the muffin tin).

Bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. I baked my cupcakes at 335 F convention bake for 12 minutes, they turned out perfect. The Bon Appetit bake time is 16 minutes.

Frosting

In a bowl combine the powdered sugar, a drop of nonfat milk and just a small squeeze of a lemon. Combine with a fork to the texture you desire. I wanted my frosting thick so didn't add too much liquid. (If you enjoy the cream cheese butter frostings, go right ahead and use the one in Bon Appetit)

Once the cupcakes have cooled, gently spread on the frosting.

The Paleo Diet

For the past two weeks I have joined a group of Crossfitters in the attempt to eat like a "caveman" for the entire month of October. Supposedly the Paleo Diet is the healthiest diet in the world - removing all dairy, sugar, alcohol, wheat, rice... you get the picture... from your diet. Yes, this has been very very difficult.

I work the typical 8 to 5 with occasional overtime days just because life err work gets busy. A diet like this could seriously damage your routine. I've realized all of my vices were affecting my day to day existence; however, with these changes my life is healthier and my body is happier.

There has definitely been some cheating... drinking my favorite brew of dark coffee in the morning and a glass of wine last Friday night. There have also been some amazing recipes exiting my kitchen. Forced to cook my own food each night, I've surrounded myself with the freshest produce making my creations endless.

Fish in a Pouch (en Papillote)

2 cloves of garlic

1/4 red onion roughly chopped

1/2 bell pepper roughly chopped

1/2 cup chopped dill

juice of 1/2 a lemon

2 small fillets of any white, flaky fish (I used Tilapia)

Preheat oven to 350 F

Cut out a large piece of parchment paper (about 12'' by 12''), this will be the Pouch for the fish, etc. Chop the garlic, onion, bell pepper, dill and anything else you find suitable for flavor. Place the clean fillets of fish on the parchment paper and top with the other ingredients. Squeeze lemon over the top and add a dash of sea salt (no table salt).

Fold & twist up parchment paper creating a pouch. Place in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Cooking en papillote is a different way to steam your food. No oil is needed and your dish always comes out moist and flavorful. I try to add as much intensely flavored ingredients to a white fish en papillote so I won't need to use salt in the end. In fact, you could even top off the steamed fish with this lemony pesto . . .

12 more days to go . . . wish me luck!

Rest in Peace, Gourmet

The economy has definitely gone bust as one of the nation's oldest culinary magazines is saying goodbye... Gourmet Magazine.

Ahhh . . . The memories of sifting through these monthly subscriptions as a little girl were forefront on my mind after I read the sad decision by Conde Naste. At my office I couldn't help but contemplate, why Gourmet? As a food blogger you are immersed in a community where people absolutely love food . . . cooking, eating, photographing, illustrating, musing, conversing food. But then I'm taken aback and realize could this, the internet, be why Conde Naste would choose Gourmet to walk the plank? In the midst of the quick click, selective reading, and opinionated lifestyles that we live can we no longer enjoy the old school magazines like Gourmet? Are they going out of style? Or is this the next step to something better?

Whatever it is, I vow to hold on tight to my subscription of Bon Appetit. I will dog ear every page I find to be inspiring and post-it every recipe worth trying. I will savor the photography and amuse myself with the content. I will never take it for granted.

**tear

NPR Article here